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The
Official Print-Newsletter
of LOCOA
[
Current
News ]
BURMA
NTENSIFY THE PRESSURE ON BURMA, SAY GROUPS WORLDWIDE
Burma democracy supporters from around the world have urged the international community to escalate efforts to ensure that talks between Burma's military regime and democratic opposition are transformed into a genuine tripartite dialogue between its military regime, democratic opposition and ethnic nationality groups.
Representatives of 53 organizations from 28 countries expressed support for the talks. However they also urged governments to intensify to intensify pressure on the military junta and called for concrete action to implement the International Labor Organization (ILO) resolution on Burma. The representatives were attending a three-day International Strategy Meeting on Burma that was concluded last night at an undisclosed location in Thailand.
A statement issued by the meeting declared: "Despite these talks, the results of the 1990 elections have not been recognised. Furthermore, serious human rights violations and humanitarian crises continue unabated in Burma."
The statement demanded that the SPDC demonstrate its good faith and sincerity by immediately acting to release all political prisoners, allow the NLD and all political parties to function freely, cease all military hostilities and cease all forms of forced labor.The International Strategy Meeting appealed to governments to refrain from providing any form of official economic or development assistance until a genuine tripartite agreement could be reached. They called for
ASEAN to officially support the talks process and to urge the SPDC to commit to a genuine tripartite dialogue.
*Write to us if you would like to have the full text of the statement.
INDONESIA
STOP RACISM, XENOPHOBIA AND INTOLERANCE IN INDONESIA
Meeting on the International Day for Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, individuals and representatives of 43 NGOs in Indonesia have called for a stop to racial and segregation politics that are rampantly practiced by the Indonesian Government. Such politics from the Dutch colonial era have been continued by the New Order Government to effectively maintain its power for 32 years.
The meeting charged that many of the Indonesian Government's policies have been discriminative, causing "segregation of citizens based on ethnical, racial, religious, descendency and other issues". These policies gave rise to prejudice that in turn manifested itself as racial conflicts that occured in various parts of Indonesia. Instead of protecting the rights of minority groups and promoting a spirit of pluralism, the government has used its legislative tool to marginalise the civil and political rights, cultural and social rights and economic rights of the citizen. The meeting charged that "there are at least 62 discriminative legislation products".
Racial riots in Tasikmalaya, the Mollucas, in Pekalongan, in Langgau Ledo and Sambas, in Pekan Baru and Sampit have shocked everyone. Such hatred and violence are "explosions from the 'time bomb' created by the New Order Government for 32 years".
In commemoration of the International Day for Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the meeting called on "all national components do some soul searching about this current situation". It also called on all people to join hands and work together to end all forms of hatred, vilence and racial criminal acts and to stop all forms of racial politics.
In its final joint statement, the meeting expressed its condemnation for all policies of racism and segregation and all practices of racial violence, direct or indirect. Among others, it also urged the government
to:
1. recant all legislations containing discrimination based on race, ethnic, religious beliefs, gender and political or ideological convictions;
2. pass legislations of anti-discrimination based on race and religious beliefs;
3. open any access in political, economic, civil and cultural spheres for minority and indigenous peoples;
4. Fully recognize the civil, political, economic and cultural rights of indigenous peoples;
5. Halt any coercion towards formal and informal school toward embracing certain religions;
6. guarantee the freedom to practice religions, especially for the minorities;
7. uncover and bring to justice all past racial and religious violence;
8. nullify the Dual Function of the Military and disband the Coordinating Body for Chinese Problem.
* This statement was signed by representatives from 43 NGOs in Indonesia. Please write to us if you would like a copy of the statement.
[source: DAGA]
CHAN Beng Seng
Documentation for Action Groups in Asia [DAGA]
96, Pak Tin Village Area 2, Mei Tin Road,
Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR
Ph:(852) 26971917 Fax:(852) 26971912
eMail: dagainfo@daga.org.hk website: http://www.daga.org
ACHR NEWS ON URBAN
POOR COMMUNITIES AND ACTIVITIES
APRIL 12 Bangkok Thailand
CODI
Co-opted into Prime Minister's Million Baht per Village Program
Thailand's CODI (Community Organisations Development
Institute) will help the new Prime Minister fulfill an election promise of
distributing 1 million bath to each of the poorest of rural Thai villages. A larger meeting between Government and CODI
and community networks is scheduled for around May 6.
APRIL 12 SDI International
Slum Dwellers International Presence at Habitat Plus 5
SDI Slum Dwellers International
has decided to gather groups from Africa and Asia to be present at the UN's next summit
Istanbul Plus 5- 5 years after the habitat summit in Istanbul. The meeting will held in New York in June
2001 More news on this soon. SDI
members can contact Sheela Patel (SPARC ) for details. sparc1@vsnl.com
APRIL 8 Thailand
SOLID WASTE
NETWORK Established
Thailand's CODI and communities
involved in Solid Waste Management and recycling from more than 6 cities in
Thailand held an Exchange of Experiences at Chulalongkorn University last
week. A Solid Waste Network was formed
and combined actions were planned. Groups from the private and government sector
also attended. More on this
soon.
APRIL
INTERNATIONAL
COHRE NEWSLETTER No
3
The Center of Housing Rights and
Evictions has just published it's 3rd monthly newsletter. It's well
worth reading and is available at COHRE's web site HERE. Topics include:
APRIL ASIA
ACHR TAP Exchange
Program APRIL 2001
Groups from Pakistan, Nepal,
India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Nepal
Focus: success stories over the
past few years and the potential for sub-regional exchanges. Postponed from
April until second half of May in Katmandu
Sri Lanka Exchange to Thailand
and Philippines
Focus: Colombo municipalities are in the process of contracting
communities to become involved in solid waste management. An integrated team of
9 people from Municipality, community and NGO has just completed an exchange
visit to Thailand and the Philippines under ACHR's TAP programme in
collaboration with UNCHS.
Thais and Indians to
Nepal
Focus: Secure Tenure and Urban Poor Fund.
ACHR and SDI will meet with groups in Nepal this
week to discuss prospects for
a)
Secure Tenure Campaign Launch in Nepal.
b)
establishing an urban poor development fund in collaboration with the
federation of savings groups
ACHR to
Vietnam
Focus: Savings in Vietnam. ACHR will meet
with communities and local officials from
6 - 7 mid-level cities in Vietnam to set up an urban poor community
development fund. Somsook Boonyabancha
and Celine DCruz will attend. Postponed until May 8-9.
Thais to Laos
Focus: Savings Funds. Thai
groups from the CODI networks will continue the exchange to Laos this month to
strengthen savings groups and the newly
established urban poor community fund.
Thais to
Cambodia
Focus: Savings and Urban Poor
Development Fund. The UPDF has extended its housing
loans programme to 2 new re-location sites in Phnom Penh over the past 2 months
involving hundreds of families with housing loans of approximately $400
each. The Phnom Penh Municipality has
requested ACHR to help extend the UPDF to 10 more cities in Cambodia.
Preliminary surveys will begin this month.
SDI Exchange Programme in Africa APRIL - JUNE 2001
APRIL
Kenya group to India.
April 9 - 14
Focus: Savings and Partnerships with govt.
Zimbabwe Federation to
Western Cape South Africa -April 30
May 4
Focus central funds and leadership; refugee
communities.
MAY
SDI Meeting Joberg or Cape Town 11- 13 May
Focus: decision
making processes; relationships between professionals and communities, other
on-going issues.
Indians, South Africans,
Zimbabweans to Nairobi,
Kenya
Focus on Enumeration of slum settlements
Madagascar and South
African groups to Namibia
Focus Community Partnerships
with government to provide water and sanitation to
settlements.
South African team to
Madagascar.
Focus: Information and Savings and negotiating around resettlement
issues
JUNE
SDI teams form Africa and Asia to New
York
Focus: HABITAT Istanbul
+5.
[source: ACHR]
LOCOA :
Leaders and Organizers of Community Organization in Asia
28-B, Matino cor. Malumanay Street, Sikatuna
Village, Brgy
Malaya Quezon City, Philippines
Tel :
(632) 925-8432, 426-4119, 922-0988 Fax : (632) 426-4118
E-mail :
locoa2000@yahoo.com |
